No matter what kind of seller you are or what venue you use, I think we could all benefit from a little advice now and again. There always comes a time when we find ourselves on the Etsy or Artfire forums looking for someone with more knowledge than us; someone who has a bit of handmade “street cred.” There is something almost utopic about “handmade” as a concept. I mean, who wouldn't want to work from home, spend time with family, and manage to provide a little bit of pocket change on the side? The allure of “I quit my day job!” posts makes it all sound so easy... But if you actually take the time to read what the pros are saying, there is one common theme: no matter how you put it, selling handmade is not easy. It takes work, dedication, persistence, and time.
So I decided to put together a series of posts related to being smart about selling handmade. I call it “Street Smarts,” because it is full of the practical knowledge that I seriously struggled with when I opened my online shop. There are just some little tools of the trade I wish someone whispered into my ear before I started investing time (and money!) And so I welcome you to the very first installment: "To Blog or Not to Blog?" A roadmap for those that are trying to decide if the blogosphere is right for them.
A thread I have seen a lot of people on the web chatting about is whether or not it is necessary to have a blog if you want to sell your crafted goodness. Having a blog is not necessary, but it certainly helps your customers get to know who you are, acts as a central hub for all of your social networking, and serves as a “behind the scenes” into your art. But I think my best advice (and advice that I sometimes struggle with myself) is that to be a good blogger entails several important things that I would like to deem the Three C's.
1. Consistency
I think consistency is one thing that we often overlook when starting a new blog (or any new adventure!) When we start something new we are often gung-ho. We want to blog every day and get our thoughts and feelings out there. And then, when the sparkle of a new website begins to wear thin, so does our attention. Our blogging is reduced to “when I feel like it” and you begin to go months without a solid post. When you embark on a new blog (or reevaluate your current one), consider what kind of schedule would be best. Are you a once-a-week kind of person or a daily one? Try to pick a schedule that is right for you and then try to be consistent about it. Blogging should be fun and you should not feel “forced” to do it, but having an idea of what kinds of little goals you want to set for yourself will help you in the long run when the sparkle fades. As for me, I am a "once or twice a week" person.
2. Content
When trying to develop your content, take a step back and try to consider your target audience. Then ask yourself this: if I came across this article on a blog would I take the time to give it a read? Would I stop after the first paragraph? Is this something I would share with my friends? Asking yourself what your tastes are will help you develop content that is interesting to your readers. Once you figure this out, mix it up! Personal posts, works in progress, tutorials, soapbox gripes, favorite handmade sites, etc. Try to give a little variety and be sure to include lots of visuals. But as always, put yourself in a stranger's shoes. If you think your content is mediocre and lackluster, then chances are your audience will too... And then they will move on to a different blog.
3. Community
Writing your blog is just the tip of the iceberg. To make blogging the most rewarding experience, think of yourself as part of a large community of handmade bloggers! Find a few of your favorites and follow them. Leave meaningful comments on those posts that intrigue you. Learn from their bloggy wisdom. Never think of this as an isolated experience! To get your writing out there, you need to cultivate an audience and the best way to do this is to make friends. Making friends in the blog world will help get your name out there. And if you have successfully development some kind of good consistency and content, then you might have a few new followers as well!
Blogging is somewhat of a time investment. To make it worth your while, you need to connect with your readers. If you do not have the time to put into the process, perhaps your efforts would be better spent elsewhere (like in a portfolio, or social networking via facebook or twitter). You are only going to get what you put in!
Stay tuned for next week's "Handmade Street Smarts" where I discuss the ins and outs of different blogging platforms.
Friday, August 5, 2011 at 12:04AM 
Well, with August already here, I thought what better way to close out my last month of summer than with a new blog layout. So a few clicks here and there in Photoshop and Squarespace and... Ta Dah! It is certainly different, and I know the sidebar needs some overhauling, but I am pretty pleased with how things turned out. The navigation is more or less the same (just relocated above), so old visitors should have no problem finding their way around. It can get hard to innovate when you need to keep a certain amount of criteria consistant for the sake of branding. Hopefully, I can start offering some website redesigns for others in my graphic shop, Origraphix, on Zibbet! I have had limited luck selling banners, so it might be time to branch out into some new types of graphics...
